Thursday, March 3, 2011

IT News HeadLines (Engadget) 02/03/2011




The Engadget Interview: Ryan Bidan, BlackBerry PlayBook senior product manager

RIM held a little PlayBook party here in New York yesterday, giving us a chance to hang out with Ryan Bidan, the company's senior product manager for the seven-inch tablet. In addition to chatting with us about battery life, connectivity, and pricing, Ryan clarified the PlayBook's app development model -- athough devs can choose to work with native code, Java, Adobe Air, and HTML5 / WebWorks, the idea is for the ultimate user experience to be seamless, and RIM will eventually provide standard UI widgets for each environment. We also had to ask about those swirling rumors of Android support, and while we commend Ryan for his practiced non-answer, we can't help but feel we detected a hint of a smile on his face. Or was that just another tray of snacks going past? Check the video and decide for yourself.
The Engadget Interview: Ryan Bidan, BlackBerry PlayBook senior product manager originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 10:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Cox breaks return cable upload record with Motorola's help, subscribers still waiting for their cable guy
Cox breaks return cable upload record with Motorola's help, subscribers still waiting for their cable guyThere's a somewhat narrow category here, but Cox Communications just set a benchmark for bandwidth on its Las Vegas network thanks to an RX48 DOCSIS 3.0 receiver from Motorola. That rate is 356Mbps on a 5 - 85MHz return path, which correlates to upstream performance on a cable modem. The company says the tests "demonstrate that Cox's HFC networks are much more future proof than many have believed" and that they "have the capability to support much higher data speeds than today without the need to replace any of the amplifiers, taps or cables." That will naturally leave Cox subscribers with just one question: how long until my uploads are that fast?Continue reading Cox breaks return cable upload record with Motorola's help, subscribers still waiting for their cable guy
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Google adding web-based in-app payments, probably some time in May
It's not enough that you'll soon be able to make in-app purchases on Android, Google wants to give you an outlet for your app spending online as well. The search giant is hard at work turning last year's acquisition of Jambool and its Social Gold software into a web-based in-app payments platform it can call its own. Jambool's proprietors have word that Google's system is now in beta, which has led it to close new signups for the Social Gold offering, ahead of halting payment processing entirely on May 31st. That should serve as a pretty reliable guide for when to expect Google to flip the switch on its in-app purchasing service, which we're hearing will include some level of integration with Google Checkout and Google accounts. As TechCrunch points out, the next Google I/O gathering is scheduled for May 10th -- sounds about the right time for us to be introduced to this new, app-based way for separating us from our hard-earned cash.
Google adding web-based in-app payments, probably some time in May originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 09:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink TechCrunch  |  sourceJambool  | Email this | Comments
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Genesi reduces price of Efika MX Smartbook, Smarttop, says it's for greater good
Back in September, we reported on the absurdly overpriced Efika MX Smartbook -- a little computer sporting a 10-inch display and a $349 price tag -- and it looks like somebody took note. The folks over at Genesi have reduced the price of their entire line of Efika MX products, dropping the aforementioned Smartbook to $199 and its desktop companion, the Smarttop, to $129. Of course, they did so with a bit of marketing flair, claiming the deal would open "the door even more for billions of people and businesses in emerging markets to affordable state-of-the-art computing and Internet access." Now, we're not calling anyone out here, but we're guessing we weren't the only ones who thought the Smartbook was just a tad too pricey. Full PR after the jump.Continue reading Genesi reduces price of Efika MX Smartbook, Smarttop, says it's for greater good
Genesi reduces price of Efika MX Smartbook, Smarttop, says it's for greater good originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 08:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceGenesi  | Email this | Comments
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Supermicro and Fusion-io team up to deliver new SuperServers
Fusion-io's been in the flash memory game for some time, but until now it has been known primarily for screamingly fast PCI Express-mounted flash storage solutions with wallet-crushing prices. Those drives are primarily aimed at the enterprise market, so it seems logical for the company to now enter into an OEM agreement with Supermicro to make NAND Flash servers. The aptly, if not modestly, named SuperServers can perform over 2.2 million sequential I/O operations per second (IOPS) and over 1.4 million random IOPS -- for comparison, the OCZ SSDs we saw at CES are an order of magnitude slower in IOPS, and they aren't exactly sluggish. Supermicro also claims that the new servers speed up enterprise applications by ten times while using only one-tenth of the power. Impressive numbers to be sure, but we shudder to think of how much the SuperServers will cost. A second mortgage for a server's a sound financial decision, right? PR's after the break.Continue reading Supermicro and Fusion-io team up to deliver new SuperServers
Supermicro and Fusion-io team up to deliver new SuperServers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 08:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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HTC ChaCha to be known as ChaChaCha in Spain, somebody didn't do enough market research
As it turns out, the word "chacha" is used as a term of disparagement in the Spanish language. Coincidentally, perhaps after somebody hit HTC's marketing genii with a Spanish phrasebook, the HTC ChaCha will hereafter be known as the ChaChaCha in the land of sun, sand and siestas. This follows mobile search engine ChaCha suing for trademark infringement a couple of days ago and serves as an instructive example of why one should do one's market research before deciding to use one's internal codenames as retail product nomenclature.
Permalink Engadget Spanish  |  source@htc_es (Twitter)  | Email this | Comments
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Olympus SZ-30MR shoots 1080p video and 16MP stills simultaneously; Tough TG-810 is 'crushproof'
Olympus just loosed a trio of compact cameras. Let's start big with the €329 SZ-30MR. According to Olympus, the 30MR packs a backlit CMOS sensor with 24x (25-600mm) optical zoom and Dual Engine TruePic III+ processing. It also lays claim to being the first to simultaneously record 1080p video while shooting 16 megapixel stills -- a feature Oly dubs, Multi Recording. The SZ-20 lacks the MR and dials back the zoom to 12.5x but costs a relatively modest €219.

Olympus also announced a silver or black TG-810 compact for €299. First and foremost is the cam's claim for ruggedness: crushproof at a weight of 100kg (220 pounds); waterproof to 10 meters (32.8 feet); shockproof at a distance of 2 meters (6.56 feet); and freezeproof a temps to -10 degree celsius (14 degrees F). Otherwise, it boasts a 14 megapixel CCD sensor, a 5x (28-140mm) optical zoom, 720p movie mode, TAP control (for gloved use), GPS, and an electronic compass.

All three cameras feature a 3-inch LCD; HDMI; high ISO and sensor-based mechanical image stabilization; smart panorama, 3D photo, pet detection, and beauty modes; and SDXC and Eye-Fi card compatibility. Look for them to hit retail in March.Continue reading Olympus SZ-30MR shoots 1080p video and 16MP stills simultaneously; Tough TG-810 is 'crushproof'
Permalink   |  sourceOlympus (1), Olympus (2)  | Email this | Comments
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Google spikes 21 malicious apps with big download counts from the Market (update: Android 2.2.2 and up are immune)
We're sure that the debate of a carefully controlled and curated environment like Apple's App Store versus a free-for-all like the Android Market will rage on for years to come, but here's something to chew on: Google just removed some 21 apps from the Market in the last day from a publisher going by Myournet for doing all sorts of naughty things to your device. Offenses include attempting to root your phone, uploading phone information (including IMEI) to who-knows-where, and -- most egregiously -- adding a backdoor that allows additional code to be pulled down and executed.

At least some of the apps are pirated versions of existing apps that have been re-uploaded at zero cost to the user, which makes them appealing... and the trick apparently works quite well, because the 21 managed to clock over 50,000 downloads before getting taken down. This isn't the first time malicious apps have shown up on smartphones -- far from it -- but it's probably the highest-profile case of a first-party app store being infiltrated by really bad stuff. If there's a silver lining, it's that Google was extraordinarily quick to respond once Android Police reported the situation -- the site says it took less than five minutes from the time they reached out to the time the apps actually went offline. Still, that's little consolation if you've already installed your "free" copy of Super History Eraser. Hit the source links for the full list of pulled apps.

Update: Android Central points out that the type of root exploit used in these apps was patched in Android 2.2.2 and up, so Nexus One and Nexus S owners should be fine; everyone else is left out in the cold, though, thanks to the vexing third-party update lag. Thanks, Z!
Permalink   |  sourceAndroid Police, Mashable  | Email this | Comments
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Eizo's 27-inch ColorEdge CG275W has a 2560 x 1440 IPS panel, which will calibrate itself
Calibrating your monitor in order to maximize color accuracy is considered an inevitable chore for graphics professionals, but here comes Eizo with a defiant look on its face and a brand new 27-inch IPS display. The ColorEdge CG275W promises to do all the adjustments itself, eschewing the need for a separate calibration utility, and can even be set to do it overnight, freeing your creative mind to collect its much needed ration of Zs. Brightness maxes out at 270 nits, contrast is rated at 850:1, and there's a 6ms gray-to-gray response time, not bad for the traditionally slower IPS tech. DVI, DisplayPort and Mini DisplayPort connectivity is augmented with a USB 2.0 hub, while the stand can tilt, rotate and swivel in typical Eizo fashion. You also get that fetching hood that's compatible with both portrait and landscape orientation. Shipping begins at the end of this month, with pricing varying by territory.Continue reading Eizo's 27-inch ColorEdge CG275W has a 2560 x 1440 IPS panel, which will calibrate itself
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Shocker! UK regulator finds average broadband speeds are 'less than half' those advertised
You don't have to go to the lengths of compiling a statistical project to know that advertised and actual broadband speeds are two pretty disparate entities, but it does help. Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, recently took a thorough look at 11 broadband packages, which collectively account for over 90 percent of all British broadband subscriptions, and found that actual download throughput was less than half (only 45 percent) of the advertised "up to" speed. The worst offenders were resellers of BT's ADSL lines, with Orange dipping below 3Mbit on its 8Mbit lines and TalkTalk occasionally offering only 7.5Mbit to users paying for a 24Mbit connection, while Virgin's cable connectivity won out by sticking most loyally to its listed rating. What Ofcom proposes for the future is that all these service providers start offering Typical Speed Ranges that more accurately reflect the bandwidth a potential subscriber would be buying into -- a proposal that might actually have some teeth as the British Advertising Standards Authority is currently in the midst of a review specifically concerned with broadband advertising practices. Transparency in the way we're sold broadband? That'd make a welcome change!
Permalink Guardian  |  sourceOfcom  | Email this | Comments
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NanoPhotonica develops S-QLED, OLED to develop inferiority complex soon
Ahh, the wonders of OLED -- flexible displays, great viewing angles, and low power consumption. However, the folks at NanoPhotonica have "perfected" a quantum dot display technology called S-QLED that allegedly has superior picture quality, uses 30 percent less power, and costs three-quarters less than its OLED competition. The company is gearing up for mass production and is in talks with several OEMs to start producing S-QLED displays, but unfortunately there's no timetable for when they'll get to market. Guess we'll have to wait a bit longer to see just how perfect these QLEDs really are.Continue reading NanoPhotonica develops S-QLED, OLED to develop inferiority complex soon
NanoPhotonica develops S-QLED, OLED to develop inferiority complex soon originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 05:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink OLED-Display  |  sourceNanoPhotonica  | Email this | Comments
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HTC Magic / T-Mobile G1 gets Honeycomb port, Android past and future fused together (video)
The original gangster of Android, T-Mobile's G1, just refuses to quietly fade into the annals of history. Even in spite of its long overdue end of retail life last summer, the handset continues to see support from grassroots modders and tweakers, with the latest project being the most ambitious of them all: an Android Honeycomb port. A pair of xda members have succeeded in splicing Android's most senior hardware with its very latest software and the results are available to see on video after the break. As usual with these builds, half of the phone's functions have still to be enabled and the UI lag seems like it'll be a permanent feature whatever happens, but still -- it's Honeycomb on the G1!Continue reading HTC Magic / T-Mobile G1 gets Honeycomb port, Android past and future fused together (video)
Permalink Ali Waqas  |  sourcexda-developers  | Email this | Comments
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NES becomes an HTPC, turns your FOF upside down
Nintendo Entertainment Systems have proven to be fertile ground for the DIY community -- purses, guitars, and belt buckles are just a sampling of the more unusual NES mods out there. We've also seen our share of NES PCs, and now an enterprising Finn going by the name Ana-5000 has crammed a fully-fledged home theater PC into everybody's favorite 8-bit console. An Asus AT3IONT-I Deluxe motherboard with an Intel Atom 330 dual-core processor and an NVIDIA Ion GPU provides the computing power and offers HDMI and VGA ports, six USB 2.0 ports, optical and RCA audio connections, integrated 802.11b/g/n wireless and Gigabit ethernet, and Bluetooth connectivity. Ana-5000 gave the repurposed Nintendo a fresh black and white paint-job to set it apart from your garden variety NES as well. Hit up the Source link for pics and an explanation of the entire mod process if you feel like doing some console recycling yourself.
NES becomes an HTPC, turns your FOF upside down originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 03:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceNintendo HTPC  | Email this | Comments
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iPad 2 (or something) shows up in the wilds of China
Look, not even the source of these images is absolutely certain that the device in his possession is a legitimate iPad 2, but we can't very well leave you spending your entire day anticipating Apple's new tablet launch without a potential candidate for what it might eventually look like. The above mockup has been procured over in China (where else?) and seems to tally closely with speculation we've been hearing about this hardware refresh -- namely, a slimmer profile, an almost entirely flat back, bigger speaker, and of course, rear- and front-facing cameras. We've looked into the digits on the back of the device and the model number is one for the original Apple TV while the FCC ID is for a WiFi-only iPad, but those could be mere placeholders on what is, once again, a mockup and not a real working tablet. The SIM card slot looks to have been repositioned to a slot that was once expected to house an SD card reader. Other tidbits of interest here include the 3G antenna, whose white cover is expected to be black on final units, and the sloped power button and headphone jack, bringing those witty "jumbo iPod touch" jokes to mind. Boy, those never get old. Jump past the break for a few more pics.Continue reading iPad 2 (or something) shows up in the wilds of China
iPad 2 (or something) shows up in the wilds of China originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 02:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Technabob, MIC Gadget  |  sourceDGtle  | Email this | Comments
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Flexible batteries get the graphene treatment, could be cheaper than other bendy batts
We've been talking about flexible batteries for years now, but a team of Korean researchers have presented a new solution to bendable energy sources that is not only more powerful than standard lithium-ion batteries, but also potentially cheaper to produce than its malleable predecessors -- and unsurprisingly, everyone's favorite wonder material, graphene, is at the heart of the innovation. The rechargeable battery contains a vanadium-oxide cathode, grown on a sheet of graphene paper, an unidentified separator, and an anode made of lithium-coated graphene. According to the folks behind the new power source, it sports higher energy and power density, as well as a better cycle life than the literally stiff competition. Similar advances have also out-performed rigid lithium-ion batteries, but have enlisted carbon nanotubes, a material more expensive to produce than graphene. Of course, like all technological advances, we won't be seeing these things for years, if not decades, so you might as well get used to ye olde standard bearer.
Permalink Graphene-Info  |  sourceEnergy and Environmental Science  | Email this | Comments
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The Charlie Sheen meltdown will be twitterized #Winning #Duh
Put down the search bar and step away from the television. Charlie Sheen's Twitter account has just been certified genuine letting you watch the train wreck at 140 frames per second.Continue reading The Charlie Sheen meltdown will be twitterized #Winning #Duh
The Charlie Sheen meltdown will be twitterized #Winning #Duh originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 01:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  source@charliesheen  | Email this | Comments
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NVIDIA's faulty GPU class action settlement challenged, but time's running out
Remember when NVIDIA was caught selling defective mobile graphics chips, and agreed to provide bargain-basement replacement laptops to make a class-action lawsuit go away? At least one gentleman wasn't happy with how that went down, and is suing to see that affected customers get a fair shake. Ted Frank of the Center for Class Action Fairness says that NVIDIA has no business passing off cheap laptops, and we think he might have a case -- after all, the judge ordered that NVIDIA provide "a replacement computer of like or similar kind and equal or similar value," and it doesn't take a lawyer to see that the $400 Compaq Presario CQ56-115DX that the company's offering doesn't come close to compensating owners of faulty machines. We joked that you might be better off selling your old laptop for parts on eBay, and that might not be far from the truth.

The thing is, whether Ted Frank and company win or lose in court, defective laptop owners have only two weeks remaining to sign up for whatever NVIDIA ends up handing out, as March 14th is the final deadline to have settlement claims postmarked. Read the arguments at our more coverage link, and decide for yourself.
NVIDIA's faulty GPU class action settlement challenged, but time's running out originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 23:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourcePoint of Law, Memo re: Motion to Enforce (PDF)  | Email this | Comments
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Emotiv EEG headset hacked into VR trapeze act, lets you fly like Superman (video)
Last year, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students built a virtual reality contraption that let them soar through the sky, held aloft by a trapeze harness and seeing through HMD-covered eyes. This year, they're controlling it with the power of their minds. For his master's thesis, project leader Yehuda Duenyas added an Emotiv headset -- the same one controlling cars and the occasional game -- to make the wearer seemingly able to levitate themselves into the air by carefully concentrating. Sure, by comparison it's a fairly simple trick, but the effect is nothing short of movie magic. See it after the break.

[Thanks, Eric]Continue reading Emotiv EEG headset hacked into VR trapeze act, lets you fly like Superman (video)
Emotiv EEG headset hacked into VR trapeze act, lets you fly like Superman (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 22:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceXXXY (Vimeo), YMDprojects, Rensselaer  | Email this | Comments
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$200 'Mini' NMR detects cancer faster and cheaper than full biopsies
Detecting cancer could be on the verge of getting a whole lot cheaper -- and better. Researchers at Harvard and MIT have come up with a device that, using a needle to get a tissue sample, has achieve 96 percent accuracy despite having a cost to produce of just $200. It's called a mini NMR (for nuclear magnet resonance) and also gives results in under an hour, giving the good or bad news on a smartphone display. The cost, simplicity, and portability could make it much easier for cancer to be caught and diagnosed early, but naturally it still has a good bit of testing left before it'll be ready for prime time.
$200 'Mini' NMR detects cancer faster and cheaper than full biopsies originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 21:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink iMedicalApps  |  sourceScience Magazine, Mercury News  | Email this | Comments
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Microsoft Windows Embedded Compact 7 now available, may or may not make its way to tablets
Back in June at Computex, Microsoft announced the successor to Windows CE -- Windows Embedded Compact 7 - and it's finally hitting the general availability mark today. The guys in Redmond posted a 180-day trial of the final WEC7 bits yesterday, and while it is unclear when it was released to manufacturers, ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley notes that the digital signature on the bits is February 19th. So, what does it all mean? Well, you'll definitely want to check out our Windows Embedded Compact 7 explained post, but we should start seeing the new OS powering phones (don't forget WP7 is built on the Win CE kernel), medical devices, retail systems, and maybe even some tablets soon. As for the latter category, you may rememeber that we saw that WEC7 prototype tablet above at Computex, however while some like ASUS promised early on that it would use the software for its EP101TC, it quickly ditched that idea and went with Android. Our guess is that will be the case for most out there, but the lightweight OS, which now can run on ARM V7 architecture, has built-in support for Silverlight for Windows Embedded and Flash 10.1, clearly has advantages over Windows 7 on tablets at the moment. Hit the source link for some more details, and we'll make sure to keep an eye out for new devices running the new wordy OS.
Permalink ZDNet  |  sourceMicrosoft  | Email this | Comments
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Design project paints city's WiFi networks with light
We've seen WiFi detectors used for various DIY projects before, but none quite like this rather ambitious project cooked up by Norwegian designers Timo Armall, Jørn Knutsen, and Einar Sneve Martinussen. They built a four-meter long WiFi-detecting rod that boasts 80 LED bulbs and carried it around various neighborhoods in Oslo, picking up signals of various strengths from nearby WiFi networks all the way. That's only the half of it, though. The real kicker is that they also captured the whole thing with long-exposure photographs to effectively paint the "invisible terrain" of WiFi networks with light. Head on past the break for a video, and hit up the source links below for a closer look at the entire process.

[Thanks, Christer]
Continue reading Design project paints city's WiFi networks with light
Design project paints city's WiFi networks with light originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 20:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Switched  |  sourceNearfield.org, Ti.mo (Flickr)  | Email this | Comments
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Older TiVo Series 3 / HD boxes will work with the iPad remote app soon
The companion app for TiVo Premiere DVRs worked out well when we reviewed it, but ZatzNotFunny points out it could get even better soon when it will feature "limited support" for Series 3 / HD boxes, along with TiVo DVRs offered by cable providers like RCN and Suddenlink. This "coming soon" info was included in an update yesterday that added a new DVR selection screen to the setup process, ability to run in the background plus assorted performance enhancements and bug fixes. Of course, we now know that TiVo's "lifetime" offers won't last forever (ten years, give or take) but for users who would prefer to stick with their existing hardware instead of upgrading to a Series 4, there are still a few new features coming down the pipe.
Older TiVo Series 3 / HD boxes will work with the iPad remote app soon originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 18:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceZatzNotFunny, iTunes, TiVo Community  | Email this | Comments
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Prospero the robotic farmer robotically plants seeds, makes humans even more lazy (video)
Let's face it -- humans are lazy, yet incredibly industrious. We've seen everything from a self-making bed, to a channel-changer to even a touchless keyboard. And now, we're blessed with a robot that plants seeds for us. That's right, the image you see above is of a five-legged machine that has the ability to complete all of the necessary steps to grow a plant. Thanks to a Parallax Propeller chip that's mounted on a Schmart Board, Prospero is able to autonomously navigate in any direction and avoid obstructing objects. There's a sensor that lies under its body that senses where seeds have been deployed. If the robot detects that the ground is in need of a seed, it'll dig a hole, drop the seed, move the soil back over the hole and then spray paint the ground white to note that the process was successful. The belly of the bot is also equipped with fertilizers and herbicides, and Prospero can 'talk' (via infrared) to other robots in order to maintain crop-creating efficiency. You can check out a 48-second clip of the planting process after the break. Or, if you're a harvest-enthusiast, hit the more coverage link for 5 minutes of glorious green thumb action.Continue reading Prospero the robotic farmer robotically plants seeds, makes humans even more lazy (video)
Permalink PC World  |  sourceTrossen Robotics  | Email this | Comments
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Random House switches e-book pricing models, clears way for entrance into iBookstore
Well, it looks like the last major holdout from Apple's iBookstore could soon be joining its rivals on iOS devices -- Random House announced today that it's abandoning its current pricing model for e-books in favor of the so-called "agency pricing" that Apple insists on. That model requires publishers to set the retail prices of their books with the bookseller getting a 30 percent cut of each sale -- as opposed to the traditional wholesale model that lets retailers set the price of books and even sell them at a loss (as Amazon has done in the past). As the Wall Street Journal notes, the agency model has been criticized by some (including Random House previously) for effectively eliminating discounting and guaranteeing retailers a profit on each book they sell. Of course, Random House hasn't yet officially announced that it will be joining the iBookstore ranks, but this news does certainly line up nicely with a little event tomorrow.
Permalink AllThingsD  |  sourceWall Street Journal  | Email this | Comments
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HP derides BlackBerry PlayBook OS as a 'fast imitation' of webOS, RIM says it's just good UI design
It's not rare to hear talk of other operating systems employing webOS-like elements -- we've been asking to see its elegant notification system in iOS for years -- but RIM's BlackBerry Playbook borrows so heavily from the UI concepts of the software built by Palm and now owned by HP that it could easily be confused for a webOS tablet. It handles multiple concurrent applications using a card view and allows you to shut down unwanted apps by swiping them off the screen, a multitasking implementation that exhibits "uncanny similarities" in HP's eyes to its own TouchPad tablet. Still, the Hewlett Packard team insist that they're focused on their own products and will "keep innovating, we'll keep honing and those guys hopefully will continue to see the value in it and keep following us by about a year." Ouch.

RIM's response, as espoused by Jeff McDowell, has been to say that "when you're trying to optimize user experience that juggles multitasking, multiple apps open at once and on a small screen, you're going to get people landing on similar kinds of designs." This essentially sidesteps the issue by throwing a subtle compliment HP's way, but it brings up an interesting question -- shouldn't companies aim to make the best software possible, in spite of it potentially looking like a ripoff of someone else's work?
Permalink   |  sourceLaptop  | Email this | Comments
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Microsoft's Rahul Sood says every PC industry exec should use a MacBook
Voodoo founder Rahul Sood has never shied from controversy -- he famously cut a cake with a MacBook Air during his tenure at HP -- and today he's expressing his love for Apple hardware from his pulpit as a Microsoft exec. "Every executive in the PC industry should use an Apple notebook," Sood tweeted today, implying that they were of higher quality than those that come with Windows by default. That certainly sounds a bit like a shot at Microsoft, but according to ConceivablyTech he may actually be pointing at his former employer HP, as a series of private status updates point to HP's unwillingness to compete at the high end of the laptop marketplace. "We could have done it - just need a few years of patience, and investment in our tooling/process," the message reportedly reads, "We really could have done it. [...] ‎...especially with webOS, what a combination that would have been." We're actually pretty happy with our Envy 14 -- lack of Radiance Display aside -- but we can't help wondering if it coulda been a contender with Voodoo DNA on board.
Microsoft's Rahul Sood says every PC industry exec should use a MacBook originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 17:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Electronista  |  source@rahulsood (Twitter), ConcievablyTech  | Email this | Comments
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Saab shows off Android-based IQon in-car infotainment system
It may not be the first to produce an Android-based in-car infotainment system, but Saab is diving headlong into the fray with its new IQon platform that it's just unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. It not only packs the usual navigation and entertainment features, but is tied into a network of sensors in the car that measure everything from vehicle speed to inside and outside temperatures to the position of the sun. While that's fairly impressive on its own, Saab is also going the extra mile and making all of that information to third-party developers though an API, which they'll be able to use to produce their own applications -- which will (you guessed it) be made available through Saab's own app store. Unfortunately, it's not clear when the new system will actually be available to consumers, but Saab is already using it in a fleet of test cars, and it's now showing it off in its new PhoeniX concept car in Geneva. Head on past the break for a brief teaser video.
Continue reading Saab shows off Android-based IQon in-car infotainment system
Saab shows off Android-based IQon in-car infotainment system originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 16:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceSaab  | Email this | Comments
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Google gifts Xoom tablets to game devs at GDC 2011
Google's notoriously generous at developer events, tossing out free devices like candy on Halloween, but here at the Game Developer Conference in San Francisco it's letting them flow like wine. Each attendee at Google's Web Developer Day yesterday got a free Cr-48 laptop, and today the company dished out even greater prizes -- either a free Motorola Xoom tablet or a Nexus S smartphone to every soul listening to some exceedingly well-attended technical sessions on Android. That's certainly one way to attract game developers to your platform.
Google gifts Xoom tablets to game devs at GDC 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 16:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comcast releases Xfinity TV remote control app for Android devices
After debuting on the iPad and iPhone, Comcast has finally released its Xfinity TV app for Android. Right now it only supports basic features like remote controlling cable boxes, scheduling DVR recordings and searching the VOD library but other features like video streaming to the app and tuning to VOD on the TV will be add later, just like on iOS. Unfortunately right now it's optimized for phones, according to the notes it should work on tablets too but official support isn't ready yet. Features on their way to both platforms include recommendations and better filtering of watchlists and personalized TV listings. Other than having to turn our cable box off and on at first, we got it to work without a hitch, for now it's at least one more option to use a cool new device when you can't find the regular remote -- have you looked on top of the refrigerator?
Gallery: Xfinity TV app for Android
Continue reading Comcast releases Xfinity TV remote control app for Android devices
Comcast releases Xfinity TV remote control app for Android devices originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceAndroid Market, Comcast Voices  | Email this | Comments
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Trillian gets there first, brings Continuous Client features to latest build
Well this is rather awesome. Cerulean Studios may have just become the first company in the world to implement some of the ideas I hatched in an editorial I wrote about a little something called the Continuous Client. If you need a refresher you can read the article here, but the gist of my argument is that the work you're doing in applications on your phone, tablet, or PC should follow you around. You shouldn't have to restart each conversation or refocus your Twitter stream or re-open applications and load up files you were working on. Your devices (and their clients) should talk to each other so that you can placeshift your session from screen to screen.

Well, believe it or not, someone took this to heart. The makers of the super-popular chat client Trillian have implemented Continuous Client features in the latest beta build for Windows (5.0 build 30). Amongst the new features added is the ability to share chats between devices "in realtime," allowing you to switch from PC to phone to iPad without losing the thread. Using "presence technology" the client can make logical guesses about when you're at (and not at) your PC or phone, and reroutes your notifications accordingly. The company has a blog post on all of the features of the new build, but of course, the best way to experience it is to download the software and try it out for yourself. We'd love to see your reactions and find out if it's making life easier, so sound off in the comments below.Continue reading Trillian gets there first, brings Continuous Client features to latest build
Trillian gets there first, brings Continuous Client features to latest build originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceCerulean Studios  | Email this | Comments
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We're liveblogging from Apple's iPad 2 event tomorrow... be there!
There's really no telling what could happen tomorrow at Apple's little event. Sure, the company could talk about its success with iOS devices, how well the iPad has sold, and then introduce a brand new version of the wildly popular tablet... but maybe there'll be surprises too. We can't say for sure at this point, but that's okay, because come 10AM PST (1PM EST), we're going to be delivering all the news as it happens with the industry's best liveblog right here on Engadget.

If you want to follow along with the action, tune into this URL right here at the times below tomorrow. Just make sure you've got the popcorn and sodas ready -- this is going to be a fun one.

08:00AM - Hawaii
10:00AM - Pacific
11:00AM - Mountain
12:00PM - Central
01:00PM - Eastern
06:00PM - London
07:00PM - Paris
09:00PM - Moscow
11:30PM - Mumbai
03:00AM - Tokyo (March 3rd)
05:00AM - Sydney (March 3rd)
We're liveblogging from Apple's iPad 2 event tomorrow... be there! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Fujitsu Stylistic Q550 hands-on
Unless you're eagerly anticipating your IT department handing one of these to you, something tells us the Stylistic Q550 isn't the tablet you're looking for. Why's that? Everything about the experience screams "corporate," starting with our time at Fujitsu's booth earlier today where business dealings to deploy the tablet in some corporate environment were literally happening before our very eyes. There was only one unit in the vicinity -- and the suits were relentless in trying to get their paws on it -- but we spent just long enough with it to figure out that there are far, far better-suited consumer options out there; as far as we can tell, that's exactly how Fujitsu wants it. That opinion was further reinforced by the presence of a smart card reader on the side (for secure logins), a fingerprint scanner on back, and old-school pen input, which Fujitsu tells us that legacy tablet users (read: medical personnel and field data entry folks) still want. It can take fingers, too, but we felt like the quality of the display is compromised a bit for the dual-mode support. Interestingly, there's no place to store the pen in the tablet anyway; you'll need the accessory case for that.

The company is talking about its custom Windows 7 skin as a key differentiator. The build they had on the demo unit was a little buggy, but at any rate, we came away with the impression that it's basically just a finger-friendly view to launch apps; fortunately, the full Windows experience -- which is just as non-touch-optimized as ever -- is just a tap away. We were hoping the Oak Trail guts would keep everything snappy, but the pre-release code here was actually lagging pretty badly as we navigated from screen to screen. Don't get us wrong: we're sure these are precisely the specs that some enterprise customers are looking for... but as an individual, gadget-loving, tablet-wanting human being, we're pretty sure they aren't the specs that you're looking for.
Gallery: Fujitsu Stylistic Q550 hands-on at CeBIT 2011
Fujitsu Stylistic Q550 hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 14:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Verizon targeting mid-summer for tiered data plans, doesn't yet know what kinds of tiers they'll be
Verizon's made no secret of the fact that $30 unlimited smartphone data wouldn't last forever, but CFO Fran Shammo just made things a little more interesting today at the same Morgan Stanley conference Sanjay Jha rocked yesterday: turns out they're targeting "mid-summer" to rearrange the carrier's data pricing. Interestingly, Shammo says they're still working through the details and that they don't yet know whether the tiers will be based on speed, bit buckets, or some combination of the two. Of course, Verizon's already dipped its toes in the tiered game with a $15 / 150MB option that evaporated around the time that the CDMA iPhone launched. Speaking of the iPhone, Shammo notes that the unlimited data plan was kept around to draw users into the iPhone fold -- iPhone users tend to consume a lot of data, after all -- so it'd seem that they might comfortable with that one-time conquest before parting ways with unlimited for good.
Permalink FierceWireless  |  sourceVerizon  | Email this | Comments
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Amazon Appstore for Android launching this month?
We've already had some indication that Amazon's own app store for Android devices would be launching fairly shortly, and it now looks like it could be coming as soon as this month. That word comes from the seemingly in-the-know ad network Millennial Media, which tweeted earlier today that the Amazon Appstore for Android is "launching this month," and linked to a blog post that details what's in store for developers. Unfortunately, that post doesn't actually contain a ton of specific details, but the ad network apparently sees the store as a "great opportunity," particularly when it comes to the additional exposure apps would get through Amazon.com. In case you weren't aware, Amazon's also been maintaining an official developer blog for the Appstore (yeah, it's all one word), which does provide quite a few technical details for those interested -- check it out at the link below.
Amazon Appstore for Android launching this month? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 14:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Gizmodo  |  source@MillennialMedia (Twitter), Millennial Media  | Email this | Comments
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Panasonic puts pricetags on 2011 Blu-ray players, HTIB & soundbars
Of course, it's not all about new TVs, as Panasonic also took the opportunity today to bust out MSRPs for a slew of other home theater products. As it mentioned at CES, the connected features of its 2011 Blu-ray players are taking center stage, with Skype access through Viera Cast, while they also claim to feature the industry's fastest playback, measuring at half the booting and loading time of the 2010 lineup. One other key feature is the ability to use an iPhone as a WiFi connected remote and load movies, music or pictures onto the phone then play them on the HDTV. The top of the line DMP-BDT310 should arrive in May while the rest are already making their way to store shelves, check the press releases after the break for full details on those, a soundbar and a few HTIB systems.Continue reading Panasonic puts pricetags on 2011 Blu-ray players, HTIB & soundbars
Panasonic puts pricetags on 2011 Blu-ray players, HTIB & soundbars originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 13:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Survey finds a quarter of adults in the US and UK are 'avid' mobile gamers
Just how many cellphone users can be considered gamers these days? According to a new survey from PopCap Games and Information Solutions Group, about a quarter of adults in the US and UK have played a game on their phone in the past week, which makes them an "avid" gamer in their eyes, while about a third have played a game in the past month. If you dial things down to just mobile gamers with a smartphone, however, the number of avid gamers jumps to a hefty 83 percent, with 45 percent saying they play on a daily basis. What's perhaps most telling, though, is that 55 percent of smartphone users say they play games in general most often on their on their phone, compared to just 22 percent who play most often on their desktop or laptop computer, and 20 percent who opt for game console. Hit up the link below to check out the complete results in PDF form.
Continue reading Survey finds a quarter of adults in the US and UK are 'avid' mobile gamers
Survey finds a quarter of adults in the US and UK are 'avid' mobile gamers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 13:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Panasonic celebrates higher plasma TV sales for 2010, sets prices for 2011
After setting its LED pricing for the year to come, Panasonic has finally set its plasma HDTV info in stone. Again matching the information leaked from retailers, the MSRPs (before any retailer discounts) range from the 65-inch TC-P65VT30 sticking at $4,299 down to the $599 720p TC-P42X3. Also of note is the inclusion of not only the previously announced S30 series without 3D technology or the new Infinite Black 2 panel (unlike the step-up ST30 models) but there will also apparently be a V30 line without the 3D fittings, although there's no specs, prices or ship dates mentioned. Last year the only top of the line model available was the VT25, although there was a 2D only V20-series plasma available in Australia and other regions. 3D or no, things appear to be looking up for plasma TVs, with shipments jumping nine percent last year. Check the press release after the break for all the details, but we'll have to wait until the TVs to arrive to find out if Panasonic is going to be able to hold onto its crown again.Continue reading Panasonic celebrates higher plasma TV sales for 2010, sets prices for 2011
Panasonic celebrates higher plasma TV sales for 2010, sets prices for 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 13:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Force Dynamics 401cr test drive (video)
If you're old enough to have spent any time in an arcade, surely at some point you splurged an extra couple of quarters to play a game in a seat that moved a bit, shook a bit, made some feeble attempt at making you feel like you're really in the game. Kid's play, that stuff (quite literally), but just like people don't stop gaming as they get older so too such motion simulation tech doesn't have to stay for kiddies. Enter Force Dynamics and enter the 401cr: a full-bore motion simulator that can not only generate over a G of acceleration but can spin you right 'round as many times as you like. We took it for a quite a few spins indeed, plus more than one crash, and we think you'll want to check them out the video below.
Gallery: Force Dynamics
Continue reading Force Dynamics 401cr test drive (video)
Force Dynamics 401cr test drive (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 12:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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AMD compares upcoming Llano Fusion APU with Intel Core i7, puts the heat on Sandy Bridge (video)
So far, AMD's new Fusion chips have been all about the low-end, whether you're talking in terms of price, performance or power consumption, but the company has a vision for its future that has these new Accelerated Processing Units dominating every segment of the market. In order to do that, AMD will need to overcome Intel's latest generation of mainstream processors, the Core 2011 family we're more familiar with under the Sandy Bridge codename. Before you rush past the break and watch AMD's own comparison between said Intel hardware and the forthcoming quad-core Llano APU, be aware that processor performance can rarely be generalized from a single test alone and the one we're witnessing is specifically geared to highlight the Fusion chip's strengths. All that said, the workload demonstrated by AMD -- a 3D game, HD video playback (plus post-processing on the Llano rig), Excel calculations, and some 3D modeling, all running simultaneously -- is handled most impressively by the A8-3510MX APU, which even manages to use less power than Intel's 2GHz Core i7-2630QM. See the video after the break.

[Thanks, Vygantas]Continue reading AMD compares upcoming Llano Fusion APU with Intel Core i7, puts the heat on Sandy Bridge (video)
Permalink   |  sourceAMDUnprocessed (YouTube)  | Email this | Comments
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ASUS Eee PC 1015B and 1215B hands-on
Okay, picture an ASUS Eee PC 1015. Got it? Good -- now picture it with AMD Fusion internals. Boom: the 1015B is born. We spied versions in both white and black trim here at CeBIT, promising 1080p output in your choice of 1.2GHz single-core and 1GHz dual-core APUs, both with ATI Radeon HD 6250 graphics, 1GB of RAM (expandable to 2), and Bluetooth 3.0 along with 802.11b/g/n WiFi. If you're looking for something a little beefier, ASUS has a Fusion remake of the 1215, too -- the 1215B -- with many of the same features but the added benefit of a larger 12.1-inch WXGA LCD, an optional 1.6GHz AMD E350 dual-core processor, and up to 4GB of RAM. No word on when these will be in retail channels, but by all appearances, these are production or very-near-production models on display here at the show, so we imagine they'll be popping up any time now.
Gallery: ASUS Eee PC 1015B hands-on at CeBIT 2011

Gallery: ASUS Eee PC 1215B hands-on at CeBIT 2011
ASUS Eee PC 1015B and 1215B hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 11:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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